Root nitrate uptake in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is modulated by transcriptional and presumably posttranscriptional regulation of the NRT2.1/NRT3.1 transport system.

Nitrate uptake in sugarcane roots is regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels based on the physiological status of the plant and is likely a determinant mechanism for discrimination against nitrate. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the most suitable energy crops for biofuel feedstock, but the reduced recovery of nitrogen (N) fertilizer by sugarcane roots increases the crop carbon footprint.